Conventional smoking articles, such as cigarettes, typically include a tobacco rod, a filter, and a layer or layers of paper surrounding the tobacco rod and filter. However, the design of cigarettes has evolved to include other components or segments, such as solid heat sources, flavor pellets, flavor capsules, and/or other items. Some of these components may be small in size, difficult to manipulate, and/or difficult to combine. Accordingly, the demands on cigarette manufacturing techniques and related equipment have increased as a result of the evolution in cigarette design.